BALLSTON -- The Cappiello family, which had intended to sell its 289-acre farm to the town at a discounted price for the community it called home for 53 years, has sold the land to a private buyer because the town failed to act.

The identity of the buyer has yet to be revealed, but Farmland Protection and Preservation Committee Chairman Donald Rhodes said during Tuesday's Town Board meeting that the buyer has impressive plans for continued farming.

"A farmer friend of mine recently reminded me, you reap what you sow, and although the town did not harvest this crop, perhaps now the property is in better hands," Rhodes said.

The farm, which had been on the market for approximately 10 years, was sold Friday.

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The property is located on Route 50, near the intersection of Middleline Road, and is part of the estate of Julio Cappiello. The property consists of the land, several buildings and farmhouses.

The Cappiello family originally intended for all but 14 acres of the farm to be sold to the town at a price below market value, in the spirit of giving back to a community they were a part of for five decades.

Ballston Supervisor Patti Southworth said she was saddened to see the farm go to a private buyer. But the family had every right to sell its farmland to whomever its members chose, she noted.

"Agriculture is the largest industry in the county and local farming is a priority to us, so when we lose a farm it impacts our economy. ... We had an opportunity that we obviously didn't act on," Southworth said.

At the Town Board meeting the previous week, Southworth offered a resolution that would have had residents vote on the proposition Nov. 6.

When no board members would second it, a letter from the Cappiello family was read.

The letter thanked Joan Pott and Donald Rhodes of the Farmland Protection and Preservation Committee for the "time and dedication they have invested in trying to put together a proposal that would be a win for the town of Ballston."

The letter went on to say: "My father hoped that this land would be a legacy for his children and grandchildren, that his hard work for over 50 years would reap benefits for future generations of Cappiellos."

"The Town Board has stopped every potential sale of our family's land by refusing to openly and reasonably discuss development opportunities with potential purchasers and then passing a development moratorium," the letter continues. "And what did we do? We waited. ... How many of you would be willing to wait and wait and wait to sell a valuable asset that you own? Wait and watch the real estate market fall apart and still wait? Well that is exactly what we did. But, as of tonight, we are done waiting."

The Cappiello family attempted several times in the past to sell the farm to developers but was hampered by the town; a moratorium passed in 2004 on building in Ballston recently expired.

More than 100 people attended a public hearing on the issue and the majority of speakers were in favor of buying the farmland, saying the price was fair.

Pott said she was disappointed to learn the farm had been sold to a private buyer and felt the decision should have been put to a public vote.

"I would hope that if another project comes before the Town Board, the members will cooperate more with each other and the project itself," she said. "This isn't how Ballston does things."